Power of Words
by Kyrandis
Summary: Tigerstar had a way with words. They were so powerful, so convincing. Oneshot.


**A/N: At the Erin Hunter author chat on Wands and Worlds, I asked if it was only pride that kept Leopardstar from breaking her agreement with Tigerstar when he was going to kill the Half-Clan cats, or if there was another factor involved--one that Leopardstar would never admit out loud--like fear. Victoria confirmed that yes, there was fear, involved--and she was also in love with Tigerstar! :O! And so, this fic is born.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors. A lot of the talking here are quotes taken directly from Warriors: The Darkest Hour. I also know that's not how Stonefur dies exactly, but I was...um...lazy. Haha.**

It was a sight that made your fur prickle, a sight that sent a jolt through your body—a sight that made you feel sick to the stomach. Perhaps it was the appearance itself that gave the cat that stood upon it a look of pure authority. It was the Bonehill. The Bonehill was huge—massive, and it certainly had a most threatening appearance. Built purely out of dozens upon dozens of prey bones, it loomed over the all the cats of the combined Clans.

At least—they were supposed to be combined. Tigerstar had said that. Maybe he wasn't lying—maybe he was. But it was hard to tell with this cat. The reigning cat himself was currently seated atop the pile of bones. A cold look of contempt on his face and his eyes dark and sneering as he looked over the crowd of cats that was gathered around. On either side of the hill were Blackfoot and Leopardstar.

Leopadstar's eyes flicked back and forth a bit nervously. She turned slightly to Blackfoot. The ShadowClan deputy was sitting tall, chin raised and eyes narrowed but expressionless. Leopardstar looked at her paws regretfully. Though they weren't physically, she saw them stained with blood.

_Has my decision sealed my Clan's fate? Have I condemned them to death?_ She shook her head sharply and looked back at the cats from both ShadowClan and RiverClan. She _had_ to be strong, for their sake. The RiverClan leader stole a glance at Tigerstar. The leader had not shifted his eyes from the group of cats and did not return her gaze. Leopardstar looked back at the crowd, suppressing a frown.

"It is time," Tigerstar declared suddenly, "for the trial to begin. Fetch the prisoners!"

Leopardstar watched, eyes blank, as Jaggedtooth whisked away, only to return mere heartbeats later, shoving Stonefur ahead of him into the clearing. Darkstripe followed, head high and eyes gleaming with both excitement and pride. Two apprentices—Graystripe's kits, Stormpaw and Featherpaw—followed, led on by Oakfur and both looking subdued. Leopardstar sighed softly. She could do nothing to save them. She was completely and utterly powerless.

"Cats of TigerClan!" Tigerstar yowled once the prisoners were in front of the Bonehill. "You all know the hardships that we have to face. The cold of leaf-bare threatens us. Twolegs threaten us. The other two Clans in the forest, who have not yet realized the wisdom of joining with TigerClan, are a threat to us." He swept his gaze across the crowd. "Surrounded as we are by enemies," he continued, "we must be sure of the loyalty of our own warriors. There is no room for TigerClan for the halfhearted. No room for cats who might waver in battle, or worse still, turn on their own Clanmates. TigerClan will not tolerate traitors!"

All the cats started shouting in agreement, except for the prisoners, Blackfoot, and Leopardstar. Stonefur stood protectively over Stormpaw and Featherpaw, who huddled together fearfully. Blackfoot nodded coolly, but Leopardstar just sat stoically, refusing to betray her fear, sadness, and regret with so much as her tail trembling. She wished the yelling would stop; she was getting dangerously close to losing her composure.

Thankfully, Tigerstar only waited a few heartbeats before waving his tail for silence. "Especially," he meowed, putting strong emphasis on the word, "we will not tolerate the abomination of half-Clan cats." He spat out the word half-Clan bitterly. "No loyal warrior would ever take a mate from another Clan, diluting the pure blood that our warrior ancestors decreed for us. Bluestar and Graystripe both flouted the warrior code when they took mates from RiverClan. The kits of such a union, like the ones you see in front of you now, can never be trusted."

Blackfoot rose to his paws, yowling, "Filth! Filth!"

Leopardstar winced openly, but, luckily, none of the cats seemed to notice. They were all on their paws now, taking part the thundering cry. Not wanting to stand out, though, she hastily joined in, calling halfheartedly, "Filth!" She felt numb with relief as the crying finally died away.

"Half-Clan cats have been tolerated until now," Tigerstar told the cats, "but the time for tolerance has passed. There is no place in TigerClan for warriors who owe allegiance to two Clans. How can we trust them not to betray our secrets, or even turn on us and kill us? Can we expect StarClan to fight on our side if we allow those who are not pure of heart and blood to walk freely among us?"

"No!" It was Darkstripe who answered this time, standing taller from his position between the Bonehill and the prisoners,0 and lashing his tail for dramatic effect.

Tigerstar nodded in seemingly grave agreement. "No, my friends. We must get rid of the abominations in our midst! Then our Clan will be clean again and we can be sure of the favor from StarClan."

Stonnefur leaped to his paws and bared his teeth at Tigerstar. "No cat," he declared, "has _ever_ questioned my loyalty. Come down here and tell me to my face that I'm a traitor!"

Leopardstar had been staring, dazed, at Tigerstar as he gave his long speech, worded so perfectly to convince all the doubting warriors. To convince her—she hissed at herself and gazed sadly at Stonefur, willing him to stop protesting against Tigerstar. Life was so much easier when you agreed with him, and so much less painful. Of course, Stonefur was half-Clan...and she could do nothing to save him from his imminent death.

"Mistyfoot and I didn't even know Bluestar was our mother until a couple moons ago. We have been loyal RiverClan warriors all our lives. Let any cat who thinks different come out here and prove it!"

_Stonefur...stop,_ Leopardstar begged silently. But, of course, he wouldn't.

"You showed poor judgment when you chose this cat as your deputy," Tigerstar meowed harshly to Leopardstar. "RiverClan is choked by the weeds of treachery, and we must root them out."

Leopardstar could not—would not—protest. She simply lowered her head in submission. _I do not wish to betray Stonefur,_ she thought sadly, _but I will never oppose Tigerstar. I am sorry, Stonefur. So dreadfully sorry._

"Stonefur, I will give you a chance to show your loyalty to TigerClan." Leopardstar lifted her head hopefully as Tigerstar spoke, but the hope quickly plummeted and the leader continued. "Kill these two half-Clan apprentices."

Time seemed to freeze, only to continue again in a few heartbeats.

Stonefur was addressing Leopardstar now. "I take orders from _you._ You must know this is wrong. What do you want me to do?"

Leopardstar dug her claws into the ground uncertainly, then blinked to clear it from her eyes. She would not disagree with Tigerstar. "These are difficult times," she sighed at last. "As we fight for survival we must be able to count on every one of our Clan mates. There is no room for divided loyalties. Do as Tigerstar tells you." Stonefur gazed into her eyes, seeming to discern everything about her—her feelings, motives...everything. She returned the stare as evenly as she could, digging her claws into the ground and ignoring everything around her, though she couldn't help but release another sigh as Stonefur finally turned away.

"You'll have to kill me first, Tigerstar!" he snarled up at the leader.

"Very well," growled Tigerstar. He flicked his tail at Darkstripe. "Finish him."

Leopardstar refused to look as the two warriors met, instead staring over the shoulders of the onlooking cats. All she heard was the sound of struggles. When she dared a peek at the fighting warriors, Stonefur had his teeth locked around Darkstripe's throat.

"Finish it," Tigerstar ordered Blackfoot.

With a grunt, the deputy threw himself at Stonefur, pulling him off of Darkstripe. His teeth closed around Stonefur's throat and he bit down, hard, before dropping the limp body. At first, all was silent; then the cats yowled triumphantly. Leopardstar stared, wide-eyed at her deputy's lifeless body, but, after hearing Tigerstar join in the cry, found that she was unable to resist and took it up as well. She fixed her gaze on Tigerstar; the warrior's head was raised as he cheered, his voice level climbing higher and higher above the rest. His muscles rippled as he stood, raising his tail to the air.

Leopardstar found herself watching him, mesmerized, until long after the cries died out and Tigerstar began addressing Darkstripe about the apprentices.

oOoOo

Leopardstar stared at Tigerstar, utterly horrified, as Firestar finished retelling the events that led to Tigerstar's banishment from the Clans. _All this time, _she thought, _all this time,_ _and you never told a soul, Tigerstar?_ She trembled slightly. She blinked, eyes betraying all of her trepidation and disbelief as she gazed at the leader she respected so much. She didn't even notice the conversation taking place before her until Tigerstar let out an outraged yowl.

"Traitor!" The leader leaped at Scourge, paws extended and claws unsheathed. Scourge dodged nimbly and struck out. Leopardstar barely registered the fact that the tiny cat's claws were reinforced with dogs teeth until they slashed clear through Tigerstar's skin, from the throat down to his tail in a single strike.

Leopardstar stared at Tigerstar, eyes wide, as he fell to the ground screaming in fury. His breathing faded as he slipped into the trance that took place while he lost a life, then returned, more harshly, and he yelled again, more in pain this time around. And so the process continued, the cries turning from fury to pain to fear. Leopardstar screwed her eyes shut.

_Great StarClan, _she thought desperately, _he's dying nine times. Why aren't you doing anything?_ Of course, she knew very well why. Tigerstar was a traitor. StarClan probably didn't care what happened to him, so long as he didn't bring more destruction to the forest. _StarClan, save him!_ she yowled inwardly, despite what she knew. She opened her eyes slowly when she realized that the labored breathing had ended, that the clearing had fallen into dead silence. And dead was the right word. Tigerstar, the noble leader Leopardstar admired and respected, was dead. His ambition had led to his demise.

She trembled, again not hearing as Scourge addressed Firestar coldly, picking up only tidbits from their conversation. _Scourge wants to kill us all...and take over the forest, _she thought flatly. _But what does it matter anymore? Why does anything matter anymore?_

She realized she was still standing there, staring blankly into space, as Firestar and Tallstar led their Clans away. Most of the ShadowClan warriors had fled as well. "You go first," she rasped to the remaining cats. "I'll catch up in a minute." They nodded wordlessly, looking stunned still at the death, and left silently.

Leopardstar forced her frozen paws to move and stumbled to stand in front of Tigerstar's body. "Oh, Tigerstar," she murmured. "Power is what you were after all along." She remembered long ago, when Crookedstar was weak and dying, when Tigerstar came to visit the camp. He spoke a long time to her. Telling her in his oh-so convincing way about the forest's problems and how they should unite. He had seemed so strong, then, so wise and handsome. "Tigerstar," she whispered. "You never knew. All along, while I stood at your side. Power blinded you. You never knew...you never loved me back."

_I loved you._


End file.
